Black Phoenix Heir

Chapter 98: Chapter 98 — The Twin Flame Flower

Chapter 98 — The Twin Flame Flower

Victor and the female Shadow Fox made it through the door.

The moment they crossed the threshold, Victor lost his footing.

He landed hard on the cavern floor, twisting his body at the last second so that he took most of the impact himself.

Even though Victor still had the shadow fox in his grasp, the impact traveled through her injured body.

A small cry escaped her.

Then she struggled out of his arms and dropped onto her hands and knees beside him. She remained there for several seconds, breathing heavily as she fought through the pain.

Victor watched her for a moment before turning his attention to their surroundings.

Something happened.

One formation after another suddenly illuminated.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Lines of light spread across the walls and ceiling, forming intricate patterns throughout the chamber.

Then the entire room came alive.

Soft golden light filled the darkness.

Victor slowly rose to his feet.

His eyes widened.

The room was enormous.

Unlike the natural caverns they had traveled through, this place was clearly constructed.

Everything had been carefully arranged.

Stone walls surrounded the chamber, reinforced by pillars and intricate formations that covered portions of the ceiling. Shelves lined the walls, still holding ancient containers, books, tools, and various pieces of alchemical equipment.

Desks were scattered throughout the room.

A large furnace stood against one wall.

And near the center was an enormous desk.

But Victor barely noticed any of it.

His attention had been captured by something sitting on top of that desk.

A flower.

Victor stared.

It was beautiful.

The plant stood roughly three feet tall, its dark petals curling outward from the center. Black and purple colors intertwined across its surface, almost seeming to move beneath the petals.

Spiritual Energy constantly flowed around it.

It moved in a slow, circular pattern, spiraling around the flower before being absorbed into its center.

Victor could feel the energy from several feet away.

His expression became serious.

What is that?

The flower seemed to pulse.

Like it was alive.

Victor had spent countless hours inside the Library studying herbs, plants, medicinal materials, and alchemical treasures.

But this...

There was no memory of it.

Victor slowly approached the desk.

That’s when he noticed the symbol.

Carved into the front of the desk was an upside-down alchemical flask.

Victor stopped.

His eyes narrowed.

Victor’s gaze swept across the room again.

His heart began beating faster.

This is Samal’s.

The realization settled over him.

This had been Samal’s alchemy chamber.

The more Victor studied the room, the more certain he became.

It had survived thousands of years without falling into ruin.

Outside, everything had been destroyed by time.

The forest had grown over ancient paths.

Stone had cracked.

Structures had eroded.

Even the places associated with Samal had become little more than fragments of history.

Yet this room remained almost untouched.

Victor’s gaze moved across the ceiling.

Formations covered it in elaborate patterns, glowing faintly now that they had been activated.

The shelves were filled with glass containers, ancient tools, alchemy equipment, and books.

Everything remained exactly where it had been left.

Victor couldn’t help but wonder.

Just how powerful was Samal?

Preserving an entire chamber like this for thousands of years wasn’t something an ordinary cultivator could accomplish.

Whatever Samal had been...

He had been powerful.

Very powerful.

Victor moved around the desk.

Writing covered its surface.

At first, he couldn’t make sense of most of it.

There were formulas everywhere.

Ingredient combinations.

Measurements.

Notes about herbs Victor had never encountered.

Victor leaned closer.

Then he found something beneath the other notes.

A small journal.

Or perhaps a logbook.

Victor carefully picked it up.

There was only a single page.

He began reading.

I finally acquired the Twin Flame Flower.

Victor’s eyes immediately moved toward the flower.

Twin Flame Flower.

He continued.

This flower is incredibly difficult to find. It is one of the rarest treasures in the world. There may be no other like it.

Victor’s expression grew more serious.

It takes roughly ten thousand years for the Twin Flame Flower to bloom.

His eyes widened.

At its current stage, I estimate it has existed for approximately four thousand years.

The thought was almost impossible to comprehend.

A plant could exist for ten thousand years before fully blooming.

Victor continued reading.

I cannot wait to use this with Rakasha.

Victor paused.

The name immediately caught his attention.

Rakasha.

Victor continued.

I want to see the smile on her face when I finally show it to her.

A faint smile appeared on Victor’s face.

Then he read the next line.

When the flower blooms, it will be capable of forming a soul bond.

Victor’s expression changed.

Through that bond, Rakasha will be able to possess an alchemical flame of her own.

Victor’s eyes widened.

He quickly read the next line.

With our souls connected, our soul power should be capable of reaching heights neither of us could achieve alone. Perhaps then I will finally be able to attempt the higher-level pills and recipes I have spent so long studying.

Victor stared at the page.

His mind immediately began racing.

Soul power.

A soul bond.

An alchemical flame.

Increasing the power of two people through their souls.

Victor’s attention returned to the flower.

He understood now why his instincts had told him this wasn’t an ordinary plant.

Treasures that could affect soul power were incredibly rare.

Even among the materials Victor had studied in the Library, anything capable of directly influencing the soul belonged to an entirely different category.

And this flower had been sitting here for thousands of years.

Victor looked back down.

There was more.

Hopefully the beast war will end soon.

Victor’s smile disappeared.

His eyes moved across the next lines.

I’ve promised Rakasha that when all of this is over, we will finally leave.

Victor continued reading.

No battles. No responsibilities. No more fighting.

The writing became almost strangely personal.

Just the two of us.

Victor could almost imagine Samal writing it.

We will travel the world together. We’ll see places neither of us has ever seen.

Victor smiled faintly.

Then he reached the final line.

I know she’ll love this flower.

Beneath it was a date.

February 3rd, Year 127,000.

And beneath the date was a signature.

— Samal

Victor stared at the page.

If his calculations were correct, this note had been written roughly seven thousand years ago.

Seven thousand years.

And yet the room remained.

Everything was still waiting exactly where Samal had left it.

Victor slowly lowered the page.

His eyes moved toward the Twin Flame Flower.

There was something almost haunting about it.

Samal had planted his hopes for the future into this single flower.

A future that never came.

Victor’s thoughts were interrupted by movement.

The Shadow Fox was standing.

She was slowly approaching the flower.

Her expression was strange.

Her eyes were glazed over.

She didn’t seem to be looking at anything else.

Victor frowned.

”Hey.”

She didn’t respond.

She continued walking.

One step.

Then another.

She seemed completely drawn toward the flower.

Victor immediately moved around the desk.

”Wait.”

She kept going.

Victor quickened his pace.

He didn’t know what effect the flower would have on her.

He didn’t even understand what the flower truly was.

The Shadow Fox reached the desk.

Her hand slowly extended.

Victor rushed forward.

”Don’t touch it!”

Too late.

Her fingers brushed against the petals.

The moment she touched the Twin Flame Flower, the entire chamber changed.

A massive spiritual fluctuation erupted from the flower.

BOOM.

Victor felt the force surge through his body.

His muscles locked.

His breathing stopped.

He tried to move.

He couldn’t.

The Shadow Fox stood frozen beside the flower.

Then Victor felt his own body begin moving.

One step.

Then another.

He slowly walked toward the desk.

His hand rose.

The Black Flame appeared within his palm.

Victor’s eyes widened.

He had no control over his body.

He reached the flower.

Then, slowly, he placed his hand against it.

The instant his skin touched the petals, an overwhelming surge of energy passed through him.

Victor’s eyes widened.

The Shadow Fox stood beside him.

Neither could move.

The formations throughout the chamber began glowing brighter.

The Twin Flame Flower pulsed between them.

Then—

Victor felt something reach into his soul.

His expression changed.

Whatever happened next...

There was no stopping it.